Former Top Twitter Executives Sacked by Elon Musk File Lawsuit Seeking Reimbursement for Expenses

Three former top executives of Twitter, who were fired by Elon Musk after he took over the social media company last year, have filed a lawsuit seeking reimbursement for expenses related to litigation, investigations, and congressional inquiries related to their former jobs. The former CEO, Parag Agrawal, and the former chief legal and financial officers of the company claim that they are owed more than $1 million and that Twitter is legally obligated to pay them.

The court filing lists various expenses related to inquiries by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice, but does not provide details on the nature of the investigations or whether they are still ongoing. Agrawal and former chief financial officer Ned Segal provided testimony to the SEC last year and have continued to engage with federal authorities, according to the court documents. The SEC is investigating whether Musk complied with securities rules when he acquired Twitter shares.

Former Twitter chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde was called to participate in a US congressional hearing about big tech and free speech following Musk’s release of the so-called “Twitter Files” related to the site’s content moderation. Gadde was also named as a defendant in a lawsuit by a man who claimed he was “doxed” at Twitter as a white supremacist, according to the court filing.

The three former executives argue that the social media company is obligated to reimburse them according to agreements, but the company has only acknowledged receiving their invoices. After taking over Twitter, Musk quickly reduced the number of employees, raising concerns about the platform’s stability and its ability to combat misinformation and other abuses. There have also been complaints filed accusing them of not paying rent or other bills as Musk aims to “cut costs like crazy.”

Market trackers say advertising revenue has declined at Twitter due to concerns over misinformation and hateful content flourishing as Musk reduces moderation efforts. Twitter responded to a request for comment with a poop emoji, which has become its practice.